Tower defense can bridge the chasm between casual and hardcore gamers in a way that a lot of other iOS game genres can’t manage. They’re a great way for casual gamers to lose a few minutes tapping away while waiting in line at the bank, or they can be a real time sink for hardcore gamers whenever they play. Radiant Defense, with exciting, colorful graphics, flashy explosions, and a pumping soundtrack, is one of these universally appealing tower defense games.

Developer Hexage has been blasting out shiny, addicting games for iOS and other platforms for a few years now, and the release of Radiant Defense shows they haven’t been slacking. But in a genre flooded with apps, what makes this tower defense game the one to download? (more…)

Any time I see a free app, I automatically look for the Top In-App Purchases bar to appear across the top of the app’s page. I’ve been trained to do this by the so-called freemium model that has taken the App Store by storm.

My feelings on this model are mixed. Is it a lie that is used to convince people that an application can be enjoyed for free, only to find out that you have to pay for the most features, or is it an innocent business model that capitalizes on a feature of the App Store? (more…)